Bama’s Sangati: A Collective Resistance to Oppression and Attitudinal Ambivalence towards Dalit Women

Originally published in Tamil in 1994 and translated into English by Lakshmi Holmström in 2005, Bama’s[1] Sangati: Events is a collection of life narratives from Dalit women of the Paraiya community in Tamilnadu, South India. Each narrative depicts an event of exploitation from the perspective of an adolescent girl, Sevathi. Her myriad questions to her grandma uncover Dalit problems in India. These agonized questions relating to injustice, caste-based discrimination, and violence mirror Dalit women’s vulnerability in Indian society. This study analyzes the narratives of strife, anger, and forced negotiation in a caste/class-ridden patriarchal society. Premised on gender-caste-class dynamics, this paper will concentrate on a thorough textual analysis to explore the varied and subtle forms of resistance that Paraiya women use to fortify their collective presence. Bama’s book depicts a society reaching for equality, inclusivity, and solidarity, which is a fitting resolution to the life narratives of resistance that emphasize taking an inclusive, intersectional standpoint by addressing the diverse needs of marginalized groups. Through my allyship with the Dalit population in India, I contend that the struggles that marginalized women face should never be dismissed as trivial. The global feminist movement and transnational feminist collaborations continue to recognize the importance of collaboration in addressing the numerous issues women face in different cultures and societies. Our localized research on Bama’s Sangati contributes to this larger global feminist effort.